J.DiLisio's Bench

[J.DiLisio]

25 minutes ago, Nick Allen said:

I think brass frets woulda looked bitchin on this guy. I don't know how wear resistant it would be. But if it's just gut, probably not bad. 

I was considering brass but decided it wouldn't look nearly as good when I have my corpse paint on.

[J.DiLisio]

1 hour ago, JacksonMaberry said:

So glad you're enjoying that album! It's somewhat unique as far as I know in that it features the instruments of a specific luthier more than it seems to showcase the talent (not insignificant) of the performers. Relating to Stainer specifically, Stanley Ritchie's solo Bach records are not to be missed. If you want to know some of my favorite albums of early music, shoot me a pm and I'd be thrilled to talk with you. I don't want to clutter your bench thread more than I already have!

The Stanley Ritchie Bach sounds great so far.  I've been listening to Patrick Bismuth's take on the Partitas a lot recently and it's refreshed my interest in those pieces. 

 

[J.DiLisio]

Making some progress on the viola this weekend.

So far I’m finding the larger scale to be easier to work with than a violin. Maybe because I’m becoming more ham fisted in my old age.

[Nick Allen]

3 hours ago, DoorMouse said:

Making some progress on the viola this weekend.

So far I’m finding the larger scale to be easier to work with than a violin. Maybe because I’m becoming more ham fisted in my old age.

Nice. Which model are you using? Or is it a personal model? Also, how thick are those ribs? 

[J.DiLisio]

1 hour ago, Nick Allen said:

Nice. Which model are you using? Or is it a personal model? Also, how thick are those ribs? 

I just picked up a used copy of the Girolamo Amati II viola book so I'm basing it off that except for the head which is based off the Bros Amati that Vulliaume grafted onto the Castelbarco Strad. 
The Girolamo viola is pretty delicate all over.  The ribs are around 1mm and the back gets down to 1.2mm. 
I'm not quite taking it to that extreme.  My ribs are around 1.3-1.5mm.  
I've also been experimenting with thinning the c-bout ribs while in the white so I wanted to have enough wood for adjustments.

[catnip]

I like your traditional "boy scout" knots on your counter forms.

[J.DiLisio]

On 6/22/2020 at 8:54 AM, catnip said:

I like your traditional "boy scout" knots on your counter forms.

That's where my art handling experience comes in handy.  I'm tying slip knots in straps on a daily basis. 

[J.DiLisio]

I picked up one of these antique calipers on ebay and I’m finding it very useful. It’s not as precise as my larger one (1/2mm increments as opposed to 1/10mm) but it’s smaller and easier to have on hand. 

[Nick Allen]

21 hours ago, J.DiLisio said:

I picked up one of these antique calipers on ebay and I’m finding it very useful. It’s not as precise as my larger one (1/2mm increments as opposed to 1/10mm) but it’s smaller and easier to have on hand. 

I like these things. They're cool. Essentially the same thing as the traditional style that we usually use, but with exposed components. I doubt these scissor(?) style ones could do .1 mm resolution due to the longer lever dynamics going on, but they're great for rough work. 

I really wish there was an electronic gauge that was no nonsense that one could use to very quickly check plates while graduating without having to continuously pick the plate up out of the cradle. So annoying. 

[J.DiLisio]

6 hours ago, Nick Allen said:

I like these things. They're cool. Essentially the same thing as the traditional style that we usually use, but with exposed components. I doubt these scissor(?) style ones could do .1 mm resolution due to the longer lever dynamics going on, but they're great for rough work. 

I really wish there was an electronic gauge that was no nonsense that one could use to very quickly check plates while graduating without having to continuously pick the plate up out of the cradle. So annoying. 

Here is a still from a video on Noémie Viaud..

I tried this out on my last instrument and it went pretty well.  You can go back and forth between carving and measuring without having to move the plate.
I've also just been using bench dogs and squeeze clamps for arching.  My cradle has slowly been falling into disuse. 
 

[Nick Allen]

7 minutes ago, J.DiLisio said:

Here is a still from a video on Noémie Viaud..

I tried this out on my last instrument and it went pretty well.  You can go back and forth between carving and measuring without having to move the plate.
I've also just been using bench dogs and squeeze clamps for arching.  My cradle has slowly been falling into disuse. 
 

AH! I forgot about this method! I actually used it once, and have two cork-lined blocks for it! I can't believe that I forgot... 

The way I'd like to do things is have a caliper in my left hand and a thumb plane in my right hand, kind of just following the gauge as I go.

[J.DiLisio]

I’m trying out the diy purfling route this time round.  The blacks and whites are both maple and I’m ebonizing with the steel wool/vinegar method. 

[J.DiLisio]

Today I managed to cobble together a clip-in baroque bow out of some walnut scraps.  As you can imagine, walnut is much too light an flexible for bow wood but It’s still pretty fun to play with.  

 

If anyone has a lead on where to find snakewood blanks, let me know.

[J.DiLisio]

I’m just putting the finishing touches on the baroque del Gesu model.  The loudness and depth of the full thickness plates is really eye opening. There was a bit of adjustment in the white to open it up, mostly around the channel and c bout ribs but the back is about 6.8mm and the top around 3.5 at the thickest points.

I just put in a small amount of scoop to the fingerboard and that made a significant difference in feel.  The last thing that needs attention is the saddle that I had based on the Chardon del Gesu. I realized that the sides should have a wedge shape to keep it from sliding down with the pressure of the tailgut.  

I’ll post more photos once it’s all polished up.

[Húslař]

Beauty! I am waiting for more photos 

[Thomas Coleman]

Awesome baroque!  Is the neck nailed?  Nice work as always.

[Urban Luthier]

On 9/5/2020 at 12:34 PM, J.DiLisio said:

I’m just putting the finishing touches on the baroque del Gesu model.  The loudness and depth of the full thickness plates is really eye opening. There was a bit of adjustment in the white to open it up, mostly around the channel and c bout ribs but the back is about 6.8mm and the top around 3.5 at the thickest points.

I just put in a small amount of scoop to the fingerboard and that made a significant difference in feel.  The last thing that needs attention is the saddle that I had based on the Chardon del Gesu. I realized that the sides should have a wedge shape to keep it from sliding down with the pressure of the tailgut.  

I’ll post more photos once it’s all polished up.

nice work - love the setup

[J.DiLisio]

Thanks, I’ve since picked up some faux period nails for the viola I’m working on but this one just has a single screw.  
The 3 nail joint feels tighter to me so I’ll probably be sticking with that.

 

[J.DiLisio]

 

[J.DiLisio]

A few more from the Mrs who’s a much better photographer than myself..

[Rue]

Awesome! Both the instrument and the photos! 

[J.DiLisio]

Thanks Rue, I appreciate your positivity!

I’m just finishing up a copy of the Tartini pike headed bow with some helpful references from other forum members.  It’s far from perfect but I’m really enjoying playing with it.  The snakewood is much more dense than I expected so it has some weight to it but it also feels nimble enough for faster passages.  Getting the hair and wedges to stay in place was really the most challenging part of the process. I may have ended up using some spots of CA glue out of frustration  

[Jim Bress]

The figure goes well with the head shape. Looks great!

[J.DiLisio]

Thanks Jim!
The blank I purchased was large enough for two baroque sticks so I'm planning on another bow either a long swan head or a short pike stick.  I haven't decided. 
Snakewood blanks seem to be pretty expensive and hard to come by in the US but it's really a joy to work with.  It cuts easily and leaves a very smooth surface. 

[Thomas Coleman]

The Baroque fiddle turned out awesome!